Laval Entrepreneur Mentor Program

CRAIG SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

Leaders of the Pack

Catie Ball

Major: Business Administration – Entrepreneurship

What are your interests? Missionary work, traveling, and baking cookies for my friends.

What is your dream career? My dream career is to own and operate my own bakery, which would use the best fair-trade
and organic ingredients. I want to establish a bakery in my hometown and give back
to the same community that has supported and invested in me.

Why did you join EMP? I joined EMP to surround myself with creative and innovative minds. The program has
so many opportunities that will steer me in the right business direction. I want to
learn from my mentors’ business experiences, and I want to wisely invest my time here
at Fresno State.

Qiang Chen

Major: Linguistics

What are your interests? Reading, traveling, listening to jazz music, organizing fun events and learning new
things (especially new languages and cultures)

What is your dream career? I want to have my own company where I can conduct business with people around the
world. Most importantly, I’d like my business to benefit the community.

Why did you join EMP? I want to improve myself. I took the entrepreneurship 81 class in the fall and completed
the Skills Assessment. To be frank, I was not satisfied with my scores. I want to
improve my scores and enhance my skills. After hearing about the EMP program, I felt
it would be beneficial to me so I made the decision to get out of my comfort zone
and explore my potential.

What is your dream career? I would like to help people every day reach their fullest potential, developing them
into the person they are destined to be.

Why did you join EMP? I joined EMP because I want to be part of the pack; the pack that is going to venture
into this world and tear it up. These are the leaders and innovators of today, and
I intend on being part of that mission.

Blake Ellsworth

Major: Business Administration – Entrepreneurship

What are your interests? Traveling, cars, exercising, business, and music.

What’s your dream career? My dream career is to work in the automotive industry. I want to run my own exotic
car dealership and focus on building relationships with my clientele. Eventually,
I want to step into racing and own a race team to promote my dealership.

Why did you join EMP? I joined EMP to learn from those who have an abundance of knowledge and want to share
it. I hope this program will allow me to build my skills as an entrepreneur so that
I might be able to pass down my own knowledge one day. I also know that I will have
plenty of opportunity to network and collaborate with both students and professionals.

Andrew McMillan

Major: Business Administration - Computer Information Systems

What are your interests? Chinese, traveling, backpacking, global politics and technology. I'm interested in
everything and my only regret is not having enough time to master it all.

What's your dream career? To own my own consulting firm. Move over McKinsey, hello McMillan Consulting. I want
to always stay ahead of the curve and constantly be adapting. Hopefully I'll be the
one that CEO's turn to for help. Maybe one day I'll use my skills to help Children's
Hospital and other organizations that helped save my life.

Why did you join EMP? Because I would like to meet the best and brightest outside my field of study at
Fresno State. I also felt like I needed someone with experience outside the 9-5 work
world to help guide me, and push me to take risks, and grow as a person.

Daniel Malcolm

Major: Business Administration – Entrepreneurship

What are your interests? Spending time with family, adventure sports, music, movies, traveling, and starting
businesses.

What’s your dream career? My dream is to found and head a successful world-renowned conglomerate.

Why did you join EMP? I want to take advantage of this opportunity to have access to so many successful
entrepreneurs that want to mentor students and aspiring entrepreneurs like me. I will
be starting my online retail for neckties, SparkleTies.com this year, so I would love
to be introduced to a network of people that can help me along the way. I have also
really enjoyed attending the Coleman Fellows Workshop Series. I like to apply as much
Information from these sources as I can to my current business ventures and catalog
the rest of the information for use in future ventures. I have learned a great deal
from these workshops and imagine that EMP will provide an even better experience for
me to learn and apply important information for entrepreneurs. I have participated
in a lot of programs and activities hosted by the Lyles Center and I have been very
impressed with and grateful for the amazing resources and opportunities these programs
have provided me with.

Sebastian Cole

Major: Business Administration - General Finance

What are your interests? I like to travel and experience new cultures and customs. I also like to do do physical
activities such as hiking, working out, paddle boarding, kayaking, etc.

What’s your dream career? My dream career would be any well-paying job that would require me to travel both
domestically and internationally. When the time is right, I would like to open up
my own business. Ideally, this business would be one that will benefit society.

Why did you join EMP? I wanted to get out of my comfort zone and start to work on strengthening my professional
leadership skills. In specific, I wanted to focus on my networking and communicating
abilities. I also joined the program to surround myself with like-minded individuals
with success always on their minds.

Ga-Lhiel Dullard

Major: Agricultural Business

What are your interests? In my spare time, I enjoy playing sports, being outdoors, hunting, fishing, loving
every day, and working with my hands. I also take a liking to leadership and networking
opportunities; actively participating in my faith and the curch. I also dabble in
learning more about technology and investing.

What’s your dream career? Being from the Central Valley and an agricultural business major, I aspirte to stay
in the Valley and open my own business as a broker of agricultural commodities. Having
a love for agriculture and working the land, I also desire to own land and farm tree
and row crops here in the Valley.

Why did you join EMP? I joined Laval EMP to make connections throughout the community and had to strengthen
myself as a Valley entrepreneur and a leader. By being in EMP, I am most looking forward
to being around those with common interests and innovative ideas.

Jonathan Meza

Major: Business Administration – Accounting

What are your interests? Sports, cars, traveling, and working.

What is your dream career?

I would like to one day own a business or be the CEO/CFO of a large company. I
would like to have a career in which I receive good income, allowing me to give
back to my community.

Why did you join EMP? I joined EMP to become a successful person. I am aware of the impact this program
has had on alumni. I’d like to take full advantage of this great opportunity.

Nashira Morales (NEED HEADSHOT)

Major: Entrepreneurship

What are your interests? I love to read, spend time with my family, play soccer, practice Brazilian Jiu Jitsu,
workout, hike, and travel

What is your dream career? It is one that will include public/motivational speaking and will be connected to
sports. It would involve building a company from the ground up and doing what I can
to make sure I can give back to my community.

Why did you join EMP? This program gives us a valuable opportunity to meet like-minded students and gain
knowledge from those who have already experienced the very thing we are striving to
accomplish. This allows us to utilize our special skills and it encourages us to have
a higher level of thinking, which is essential to being a successful entrepreneur.

Michael Olague

Major: Business Administration – Accountancy; Professional Certificate in Finance

What are your interests? Researching the perfect method to prepare Top Ramen, monitoring investments and financial
markets, networking with just about anyone, midnight bike rides through Tower District,
downtown revitalization, sunglasses, an unhealthy Star Wars Lego addiction and those
chalky candy hearts are the things that keep me happy

What is your dream career? I dream of finding something that not only makes me happy, but makes the world a
better place. Maybe I could be the first accountant on Mars?

Why did you join EMP? The acid test for successful business leaders is no longer derived from the "bottom
line." Leaders must be able to recognize needs in their communities and seek innovative
methods to provide a remedy. I have no doubt that EMP will encourage me to develop
the skills, network, and determination to make a positive, concrete change here in
the Central Valley.

Edgar Castro

Major: Business Administration- Accountacy

What are your interests? Watching Friends over and over again, traveling, discovering new music, socializing,
playing tennis, swimming.

What’s your dream career? Wolf of Wall Street without the drugs. I hope to one day start a non-profit organization.

Why did you join EMP? I joined EMP to meet people that are on the same entrepreneurial journey as myself.
I want to learn a few things from people who are extremely successful in what they
do so that I can incorporate that into my road to success.

Manwinder "Money" Singh

What's your dream career? To be a top shot lawyer in a big city who co-owns franchises, restaurants, and a movie
production company. As well as give back to my community and be a better change in
the world.

Why did you join EMP? I personally joined to better implement myself as a leader, my personal development
skills, to learn intellectual aspects I can become better at and join leaders who
will be the change in the world I see as well.

Nicholas Perez

Major: Communicative Disorders and Deaf Studies - Accounting

What are your interests? I love to be inside a gym or doing anything related to fitness. It's been a passion
of mine since I was little, from baseball to weightlifting or hiking to salsa dancing.
Also, I like to socialize with different groups of people to experience their goals
and passions. I also like to try new things because you never know if that could be
your next interest.

What’s your dream career? My dream career is to run a top tier fitness industry that builds up, both mentally
and physically, future athletes and people who aspire to be something greater. I want
to help people lose weight, feel better, or become the next Division 1/ professional
athlete. Whatever the goal, I want to make sure it is realized.

Why did you join EMP? From attending the first mixer, my first thought was "this is the program that everyone
needs to be a part of while in college." Everyone I met was inspiring and had goals
to make something out of themselves. Also, networking with several successful entrepreneurs
and hearing their stories made you realize their humble beginning and what they went
through to get where they are at today. It was helpful and I anticipate great things
coming from this program.

Gabriel Garnica

What's your dream career? To open several restaurants and bars and to start my own non-profit organization to
encourage and empower young women to pursue a higher education and aid them in the
execution of their ambitions.

Why did you join EMP? I find value in being a part of a program that surrounds me with like-minded people.
The day Dr. Stearns and previous EMP students spoke of the program in my Entrepreneurship
81 class, I knew that I had to be a part of this amazing opportunity. The program
was highly recommended by the students who presented how EMP aided them in their successes.
I am eager to be mentored and surrounded by other innovators, staying motivated and
utilizing information, such as other’s experiences and failures, to create a better
outlook on my future aspirations.

Jaqueline Duenez

Major: Business Administration - Entrepreneurship

What are your interests? I enjoy spending my time raising my pet chickens, utilizing my planner, as well as
discovering new ways of enhancing my productivity.

What’s your dream career? My life will be fulfilled once I start upa Non-profit organization targeting students
ages 10-14, emphasizing on their social and educational success.

Why did you join EMP? By joining the Laval EMP I hope to exercise my business communication skills and
have a deeper understanding of what it takes to be an entrepreneur. Surrounding myself
with passionate, driven and business orientated individuals will place me in the environment
I need in order to enrich my college experience and lead me to a better future.

Javier Mosqueda

Major: Business Administration - Entrepreneurship

What are your interests? Traveling, exploring local restaurants, and spending time with loved ones.

What’s your dream career? My dream career would be to open my own business, specifically a tortilleria in the
Monterey County; eventually I would like to expand to other locations.

Why did you join EMP? Since transferring to Fresno State I have heard nothing but positive experiences
about the EMP and how much it has impacted other students. By joining EMP I hope to
enhance my professional skills and build strong connections with both students and
mentors.

Jerrica Harrold

Major: Business Administration - Management

What are your interests? My interests include long hikes, fishing, and spending days at the lake. I am an
avid seeker of adventure, spontaneous road trips and country music festivals. I'm
known to be obsessed with sunrises and sunsets, but my logic is this: Why anticipate
the chaos when you can see the peace (in nature)?

What's your dream career? To work for FIRST. For iNspiration and Recognition for Science and Technology is a
Robotics program inspiring the young minds of elementary to high school age students.
I participated in the program for two years of my high school career where I found
my passion for technology, education and witnessed the innovative and creative minds
of the younger generation. This program invites the out of the ordinary, the creative,
the thinkers, the innovators; which I believe will lead us to the next advances in
not only our community, but in the world.

Why did you join EMP? I joined EMP because of the opportunity. The immense opportunity to learn, to grow,
and to network was impossible to pass up. Being a first generation college student
from a small town, I like to take advantage of every business opportunity that I am
made aware of. I am looking forward to meeting business leaders, like-minded peers
and other influential individuals who will contribute to the value of this program
and my career path.

William Van Heusen

Major: Entrepreneurship

What are your interests? Hiking, ballroom dancing, painting, swimming in the ocean, and developing myself as
a businessman

What’s your dream career? Make a living as a consultant helping other people start and manage their own businesses.

Why did you join EMP? I joined the Laval EMP to grow and develop my skills as a businessman and student,
and I am excited to be able to connect and network with likeminded people.

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